1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method for providing services in which a first data processing device provides a service implementable according to a service configuration for a remote second data processing device. It furthermore concerns an arrangement for implementation of services that is suitable for implementation of the inventive method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A service in the sense of the present invention is an arbitrary communication event between two data processing devices, for example a data center and an end apparatus that can be connected therewith, wherein data are exchanged between the data processing devices.
For example, in the field of use of franking machines such a service can be a remote value specification for loading of credit from a data center into a franking machine or the readout of usage data such as, for example, register states, etc. from the franking machine into the data center.
Furthermore, such services can be used by a user directly for operation of a data processing device such as, for example, the remote value spec in franking machines. Moreover, they can serve indirectly (for example as a maintenance service) to support the data processing device. Such services can be implemented at the request of third parties, for example a reporting service at a postal authority.
In the conventional implementation or provision of such services, the problem exists that a specific establishment of the service according to a standard ensues that was valid at the point in time of the development of the oldest communication partner, thus the oldest data processing device. The coding of the communication thus ensues in a programming language used at this point in time. Formulations of data fields, data types, messages, etc. are statically effected in the program source and linked to services via a rigid protocol coding. A rigid service configuration thus exists.
Since the end apparatuses with which the services are conducted are typically decentrally distributed at a plurality of clients, a distribution of updates of the services is expensive. The use of service technicians on site for exchange of EPROM modules in the end apparatuses etc. is frequently necessary.
For example, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,644 a franking machine is known in which the functions of the franking machine, and therewith also the services that can be implemented with them, are rigidly defined by the firmware of the franking machine. It is in fact possible to provide the available function set one time via configuration messages. A later change of the function set or an update cannot be achieved via such configuration messages.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,401 it is known to assemble the available function set of a franking machine nearly arbitrarily by corresponding commands from a function pool stored in the franking machine. Here as well the problem exists that no simple updating or modification of the individual functions of the function pool is provided.
PCT Application WO 02/13145 discloses providing individual, optional functions of a data processing device (such as a franking machine) via a user-controlled downloading of software modules from a data center or the like. The disadvantage exists that a complete software module that includes all definitions of the appertaining function must always be downloaded, so a significant data volume to be transferred can occur. This method is thus not suited, or is only conditionally suited, for continuous updating of functions. Furthermore, the downloading ensues only at the request of the user of the data processing device, such that it ensues only for functions that are known to the user, or of which the user is aware.